Merry-go-round.



No. 819,580. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906. G. B. MOKINNEY.

MERRY-GO-ROUND.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.4, 1905.

INVENTOH A TTOHNEYS ANDREW IL GRAHAM o0 PNOTO-LrThOGRAPHER5. wAsmNcmN. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1906.

Application filed August 4:, 1905. Serial No. 272,664.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE BESTER Mo- KINNEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Barry, in the county 01 Pike and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Merry-GoRound, of which the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a class of rotatable machines employed for the rapid whirling movement of one or more persons through the air as a source of amusement, and has for its object to provide novel details of construc tion for a machine or the character indicated which are extremely simple and durable, adapt the same for the slmultaneous rotation of one or more individuals, andenable those mounted upon the machine to communicate rotary motion thereto by hand and foot power in a convenient manner, thus aifording amusement and healthful exercise to the riders on the machine.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the subjoined claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, formin a part of this specification, in which simi ar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the merry-goround machine;

and Fig. 2 is an enlarged partly-sectional side view of the details of one seat and propelling means connected therewith, the line of section and view point being respectively indicated by the broken line 2 2 and arrows shown in Fig. 1.

The generic features of the invention embody a suitable circular track, means for rotatably supporting a plurality of seats on the track free to traverse the same, and means for transmitting orbital rotary motion to the seats produced by exertion of manual. energy and foot-power by occupants of the seats.

In the drawings that illustrate the preferred means for carrying into effect the invention, 5 represents a circular track of any preferred diameter supported horizontally by a suitable foundation. (Not shown.) A post 6 is erected at the center of the track 5, and upon the upper end of the post a whirling frame is supported for rotation above the track 5, said frame comprising a central hub 7, which is loosely mounted upon the post 6, and a plurality of arms 8, that radiate at equal distances apart from the hub. In the present construction for the merry-go-round six arms 8 are provided, which are disposed oppositely in pairs and have an equal length that projects them a proper distance outside of the track 5.

The arms 8 are spaced apart and suitably stayed laterally by two braces 9 10, securedupon the arms by bolts a or other means, the brace 9 being positioned nearly above the track 5 and the brace 10 near the outer ends of the arms, both braces being disposed concentric with each other and with the center of the post 6, as appears in Fig. 1. Upon the outer extremity of each arm 8 a seat 11 is mounted and secured, and said seats may be given any preferred form, all the seats facing in the same direction, as indicated by the curved arrow x, which shows the direction for rotating the whirling frame and seats thereon.

A bracket-frame 12 is secured pendent on each arm 8 near the inner brace 9, and on the lower end of each bracket frame a traction-wheel 13 is journaled, said similar wheels all resting upon the circular track 5 and mainly supporting the whirling frame and weight imposed thereon.

A rock-shaft 14 is supported free to turn in boxes or the like on the braces 9 10 in front of each seat 11 and parallel with a respective arm 8, each shaft having a crank-arm b on its inner end, that is connected with a respective wheel 13 by a pitman 15, which is pivoted by its ends on the end of the corresponding crank-arm and at a suitable point on the adjacent wheel 13, as appears for one wheel in Fig. 2. On the outer end of each rockshaft 14 is securely mounted a rocking frame 16, each of these similar frames comprising a handle-bar c and a foot-bar c, spaced from the handle-bar by a tranverse frame-bar 0 the latter being affixed at its center on the end of a corresponding rock-shaft.

The merry-go-round apparatus that has been described may be operated by any number of individuals occupying respective seats 11, each person resting his feet on a foot-bar c, that is in convenient position and taking hold of the handle-bar c, that is directly in front of him.

It will be seen that the rocking movement of the frames 15 will rock the shafts 14, which will by a similar movement of a respective crank-arm b transmit rotary motion to the wheel 13, that is connected by a pitman 15 to the crank-arm.

. As the riders are all supposed to work together in the manner described, the speedy simultaneous rotation of the traction-wheels 13 by manual effort and applied foot-power will effect a rapid rotaton of the whirling frame and seats thereon, so that by moderate efforts that are beneficial as exercise the riders may mutually enjoy the exhilarating amusement afforded by the rotation of the novel machine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A merry-go-round, embodying a supported level circular track, an upright post central within the track, a whirling frame having a central hub pivoted upon the post, and further comprising a plurality of spaced arms radiating from said hub, and a brace secured on the outer portions of the arms, a pendent bracket-frame on each arm, a traction-wheel pivoted upon each bracket-frame, said wheels resting upon the track, a seat on the outer end of each arm, rock-shafts loosely mounted on the whirling frame, one ahead of each seat, means for transmitting rotary motion from each shaft when it is rocked, and means for rocking the shafts by the occupants of the seats.

2. A merrygo-round, comprising a supported level circular track, an upright post central within the track, a whirling frame embodying a hub pivoted upon the post, a plurality of spaced arms radiating from the hub, and two brace-rings of different diameters secured on the arms, a seat mounted upon each arm at its outer end, a bracketframe depending from each arm near the track, a traction-wheel pivoted on each bracket-frame and seated upon the track, rock-shafts loosely mounted upon the whirling frame, one ahead of each seat, a crankarm on the inner end of each rock-shaft, a pitman pivoted at its ends respectively on a crank-arm and an adjacent traction-wheel, and a rocking frame secured on the outer end of each rock-shaft, said frames each comprising a foot-bar and a handle-bar spaced apart parallel with each other for movement with the feet and hands of the occupant of an adjacent seat.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE BESTER MCKINNEY.

Witnesses:

RUFUS H. MAIN, SELAH Mons. 

